My husband and I just returned from our 10th wedding anniversary trip in Belize. We had never been to Belize before, so we weren't quite sure what to expect from the culture, people, and surrounding areas where we booked our two lodging places.
After two weeks abroad, I can say this...I'm glad we went, but I'm also relieved to be home.
Pictures and reviews are wonderful resources when we want to book a trip to someplace new. Hubs and I often scan a few of the best reviews and a few of the worst. These quick glances can give us a broad understanding of what people did and did not like about an area. But it's still just a glimpse.
From reading a review's headline, I can usually tell if someone's complaints stem from them just being used to a certain standard and not getting it. AKA—spoiled.
But I have no room to judge when it comes to expectations. This trip reminded me to keep my eyes on what's important and be thankful for what we do have. And both of us learned we aren't built for the kind of coastal heat and humidity that comes with being so close to the equator.
After one flat tire in the middle of nowhere, watching random fires burn along the highway, and reaching our destination to find that the beach was covered in stinky seaweed (called sargassum), I had to pause for some prayer time. Reorienting myself on being thankful often helps me to shrug off the negatives and dwell in the positives. At that point, both my husband and I were a little frustrated.
The positives, when we looked for them, were still many.
- We could afford to take such an amazing trip
- Our one bedroom condo was spacious and cool
- Our hosts were happy to share their knowledge of the area and culture
- We had a seaside restaurant in walking distance that offered local food as well as bar favorites
- We had each other
That last one is the one I'm most grateful for. No matter where hubs and I go, I know how fortunate we are that we both enjoy many of the same activities. And, after ten years of marriage, we defied all "American marriage odds" and still like each other most of the time, hah! The blistering heat of the day meant we were either inside enjoying each other's company or out trying to find an airconditioned restaurant. Most of the restaurants outside the resort areas were open air.
A few days into the trip, we grew to enjoy the charm of Hopkins village. The people were lovely, the area was safe for me to walk, jog, and bike at sunrise, and we got a peek into a completely different way of life.
- people going to bed when the sun sets and getting up when it rises
- people burning their trash due to no real trash service
- no AC in anyone's home
- several people living in a house the size of our bedroom and still being content
- few people owned cars since gas was around $12 a gallon
Also, it was mango season. I love foraging for fresh fruit, so this was a huge bonus for me. We loaded up on mangoes every morning. Watching the people also collecting an abundance of fruit from the many enormous trees made me smile. One local told us that no one goes hungry during mango season. That also warmed my heart, watching the children run around with ripe mangoes in their hands.
One day, we decided to take a drive to the village of Placencia, about an hour away. This was a more touristy area with larger shops. Still, everything was local. I was happy not to see any chain restaurants or recognizable brands of coffee shops anywhere. When we travel, we like to support local businesses and experience the culture. We tried local Belizean food (I loved the stewed chicken and veggies, hubs loved the fry jacks), learned about a cliffside restaurant called Maya Heights from our host (we parked at the bottom parking lot and they had to drive us up to the restaurant in a Jeep!), snorkeled in one of the most breathtaking coral reefs I've ever seen, and went to visit the local chocolate "shop" in Maya Center.
Oh. My. The cacao. The fresh cacao nibs, dried beans, and homemade dark chocolate bars were one of my favorite things about the trip. I definitely supported their business, hah. I'm still regretting not buying more of the nibs. My small bag is dwindling. Sadly, the chocolate bars needed to be kept cool and wouldn't have survived the trip home.
Or the quick plane ride to San Pedro.
For the last 5 nights of our journey, we stayed in downtown San Pedro. I'd always been curious about this island from one of my favorite Madonna songs, La Isla Bonita. Now, I can say I have been.
Surface adjectives for San Pedro:
- dusty
- sweltering
- smoggy (gas powered golf carts instead of cars)
- loud
Deeper adjectives:
- friendly
- lively
- diverse
- quaint
While I'm certain the island looked far different when Madonna wrote her song back in the 80's, some of the original charm remains. People still walk around barefoot, hitchhike golf cart rides (hubs picked someone up and had a fun chat), and appreciate what they have. Many of the houses were still the home-built stilt variety we saw in Hopkins. Most restaurants were open-air. Unfortunately, the AC in our condo couldn't keep up with the midday heat. This made both me and hubs a little grumpy since we had trouble sleeping until it caught up.
But, we had lovely chats with the locals who ran their shops and sold their local wares. One conversation stuck with me. At the amazing ice cream shop, Caye Custard, a lady told us how people are content to "have enough." She spoke of one woman who makes tamales every morning and sells them until she runs out. It may take three hours, or it may take five. The "tamale lady" never thought of expanding, of scrambling to make more and more so she could earn more money selling for the entire day. She simply sold them until they were gone and went home.
She had enough, so her efforts were enough.
I want to carry that mindset with me. It goes right along with the Bible passage indicating that God's grace is sufficient for us. Chasing money, things, or success is a losing battle. "More" can never be "enough." Ask the wealthiest people in the world how much more they need until they feel satisfied. Their answer will likely be along the lines of "just a little more."
"More" has no limit. It cannot fully and finally satisfy. Only thankfulness and contentment do that.
So I will continue to live beneath my means and share my "extra." If I can keep my eyes on the most important people and concepts like love and kindness to others, that will be enough. I don't have to get published, famous, popular, or wealthy. Whatever God chooses to bless me with is enough.
If I stewed in the fact that I couldn't swim right off our beach without dealing with stinky seaweed, or moped about how sweltering it was during the day, I would have missed all the good. I would have carried my "American more mindset" along and let it blind me to the truth. It's difficult to break away from the flow of cultural norms. Thank you, Belize, for the reminder that I can choose to have enough, to be enough, at any time.
Keep on smilin'!
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